Mia POV
After the quick departure from the club, Ryan drags me back to his apartment. He slipped up at the club and he knows it most of the way there he's been mumbling to himself, he seems so much worse than he was before I moved away from home. He seems angrier, more out of control and he is now on edge that he slipped up.
I could see Theo, Ben and Riley looking at Ryan's attitude and his grip on me and he knows it. He's used to everything he does going under the radar and nobody noticing now he's worried that they have.
We arrive at his apartment and it's the first time I've been here, I don't know how he's affording it to be honest I don't think he has a job here. I'm sure his parents are bank rolling him ignoring the previous allegations against him, he can't do anything wrong in their eyes he's the golden boy.
Now we are here he's just pacing around, I can see tonight has unsettled him which in turn makes me extremely nervous of his actions.
"Why did you have to do that? did you see the way they looked at me? All because of you" his eyes burning into mine.
I have nothing to say to him so I stay quiet.
"You ruin everything Mia, they were becoming my friends" I could see him getting angrier.
"I'm going home" walking to the door hoping he won't say or do anything.
Obviously, I'm not that lucky as he dragged me back, "Don't you dare walk away from me" the tone was the same as he used before I got a beating.
Before I had time to react his fist collided with my stomach the pain seared through my body, the other bruises were yet to heal.
"You will stay here" I nodded and made my way to the couch. He stormed into another room and slammed the door.
If I don't want another bruise it's best for me to just stay here until morning and I'll slip out.
I couldn't sleep in case he came out angry again so I stayed away until the morning.
When the sun had risen he walked out of his bedroom with a glance at me and walked out of the apartment.
Before departing I waited five minutes before leaving as I didn't want any more run ins with him.
It took me twenty minutes to get back to Riley's when I arrived it was 8am and I was exhausted all I wanted to do was go to bed.
As I walk in she was sat in the living room with a coffee.
"Mia, are you okay?" She looked concerned but I needed to show I was okay so she didn't probe any further.
I can't get here involved in my problems.
"I'm fine just tired, I'm going to go crash" plastering a smile on my face before walking away.
"You can talk to me you know?" The sincerity flowed from her voice I nearly broke.
"I'm good Riley just going to go sleep". I think we both knew I wasn't okay but I just needed to ensure he didn't hurt anyone else.
My parents have been calling and I absolutely hate lying to them but it's for their own good as well.
Waking up was really hard, the pain in my stomach was excruciating, I'm sure it's looking bad I need to check on it.
Getting up I get into the shower taking a long time to wash my hair, not taking much notice to the bruise's I'll focus on them after I'm out if the shower.
Once I'm done I step out and wrap a towel around myself, walking into my room I'm sure I heard Riley leave earlier, I grab some underwear and put them on along with a pair of jeans. My back is facing the door and inspect the bruises on my torso in the full-length mirror in front of me.
They are bad, my whole stomach is covered in purple and green bruises most of them new but some are from the beating I go before. I just don't know what to do, I'm trying to protect everyone around me but I am scared, I'm scared that this time he will kill me whether he means to or not and that is terrifying.
I'm trying to put on a brave face for everyone around me, but I feel like I'm breaking. All I want to do is protect Theo and Coop, I know Ryan's jealous of what I had with Theo but he hasn't brought it up yet which scares the shit out of me more for his action towards them, all I know is I need to protect them.
I look up into the mirror and see silent tears flowing down my face turning I grab a jumper from beside me and start to pull it over my head when I hear my door open, I quickly pull the jumper down but from the look on Riley's face she saw.
I smile and walk out of my bedroom as if nothing had happened, I hear Riley following close behind.
"Mia, why do you bruises all over your body" the concern lacing through her voice.
Turning to her "I don't know what you're talking about I'm fine" maybe if I pretend she will think she imagined it. Looking at her face though I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get away with that one.
"Mia, I know what I saw"
"Don't worry about it you didn't see anything" I turn to go grab some coffee when she approached and lifted my top before I could pull it down.
"I know what I saw where did you get those bruises they are really bad" I know there is no point lying to her but I don't know if I can tell her the whole truth.
I didn't realise I was crying until she wiped away some tears, she pulled me to the couch and sat me down.
"Please tell me what is going on, I can see your hurting and I don't just mean physically" she looked upset and I didn't want that.
I couldn't tell her directly what was happening but maybe I could in an indirect way "Riles please just make sure you stay away from Ryan and try to tell Theo and Ben the same I know their friends now but I'm just trying to protect everyone".
"Is Ryan doing this to you?" she wanted an answer but I couldn't say it.
"Just please stay away from him, I'm going to go out for a bit I need to find a new job and apartment. I'll be back later" smiling I go grab my bag and coat.
Riley approaches me and hug me, I'm not fully sure how I feel about that but I know it brings her some kind of comfort. "You don't have to rush to move out, I like having you here" her voice is gentle as if she raised it I would break.
'I know, it's fine Riles" giving her a smile I leave the apartment.
I don't actually know where I'm going, all I know is I needed to get out of the apartment, it's clear she now knows what's happening and I do not want the sympathetic looks that I was getting from her, I don't want her sympathy I want her to be careful and I hope she listens.
I walk around and find a quiet coffee shop, after sitting for about half an hour with a latte I realise this is the calmest I've been for a while that is until my phone started blowing up with messages demanding to know where I am. The phone rings shortly afterwards.
"Mia, where are you? you're not at Riley's, who are you with?" anger laced his voice.
"I'm not with anyone I'm just having a coffee" I responded even though I knew he wouldn't believe me.
"Tell me where you are I'm coming now" he demanded. Knowing there was no point arguing I tell him the name of the coffee shop.
I order another coffee and around 15 minutes later he's sat in front of me.
"So, I wanted to talk to you" I'm really not sure where this is going.
"I need to ask about Theo, I see the way he looks at you and I know you made a mistake before I came back" I'm still waiting for him to get to his point but I know I didn't make any mistake with Theo.
"I want you to come to a party I'm throwing and you are going to make it clear to Theo that he needs to stop looking at you the way he does, you are mine and nobody will look at you like you are there's ever" the anger is starting to leak out of him now.
All he wants is me, what I want to say to him is that I don't belong to anyone but it's pointless he doesn't care and he's passed deluded now.
"Theo doesn't look at me in any particular way and I don't really want to go to a party I'm sorry" I knew what I was saying was risky, in all honesty getting wasted sounded great but I didn't want to have to face Theo and Ben.
Leaning forward he grabbed my wrist hard "You don't get a choice in this; the party is going to be at a friend of mines on Saturday I'll send you the address".
He stands up and kisses my cheek, it takes everything inside of me not to recoil away from him. "Make sure you turn up Mia, you don't want to know what the consequences will be" he whispers in my ear before leaving the coffee shop.
This is not something that I need right now, I know Riley will be there and I just hope she doesn't tell anyone about what she saw because if she does Ryan will just twist everything to get everyone to believe him and he will take it out on me even more than he is already doing.
So much for me relaxing after that chat to Ryan, my mind is racing I need to talk to Riley about keeping quiet because I do not want to deal with the consequences of him finding out somebody knows.
I need to get back to the apartment and hope she's there.